Minnesota United embrace AR technology

Article posted by Coliseum, September 2^nd, 2024

Image: ARound

ARound, the leader in large-scale augmented reality (AR) experiences, has launched a groundbreaking in-stadium AR experience for Minnesota United FC in partnership with Target.

Digiday said building on successful partnerships with the MLB’s Minnesota Twins, NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, and NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, ARound’s latest initiative is a significant step in expanding its presence in live sports.

This marks the first integration of stadium AR technology into a Major League Soccer (MLS) pregame celebration, setting a new standard for fan engagement at Allianz Field.

Allianz Field is a soccer-specific stadium in Saint Paul, Minnesota, home to Minnesota United FC of MLS. Opened in 2019, the 19,400-seat stadium was designed by Populous.

Minnesota United FC is a professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, competing in MLS. Known for their passionate fanbase and strong community ties, Minnesota United FC embodies the spirit of soccer in the North.

ARound is a first-of-its-kind stadium-level shared augmented reality platform and is part of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, a proprietary suite of SaaS solutions.

ARound keeps audiences engaged by capturing their attention through immersive, interactive and shared experiences with fellow fans across the venue.

Fans continue to be highly engaged with existing ARound experiences, with users interacting for an average of over 15 minutes per game.

Josh Beatty, Founder and CEO of ARound said, “We are excited to bring this immersive AR experience to MLS and fans nationwide.

“These new experiences merge physical and digital worlds in an unprecedented display of team spirit and innovation, bringing fans right into the action.”

Continuing throughout the season, ARound will bring to life a new Minnesota United tradition, “Loons Liftoff.”

This experience allows fans to hit targets and collect points as they work as a community to summon “The Dethloon,” a nod to Minnesota United’s fan culture and beloved mascot. Participants can also scan a QR code for a chance to win a Target gift card.

Evan Entler, Vice President of Digital Media at Minnesota United, said, “This collaboration with ARound and Target exemplifies our commitment to innovation and community.

“We’re excited to see how fans react to this unique blend of tradition and cutting-edge technology.”

Digiday further stated that on the heels of its previous collaborations, ARound is focused on making its platform more accessible via web and broadcast, while continuing to turn fans from “spectators into participants” of the game.

Beatty added, “We knew that to be a part of MLB [and] NFL, we really had to move from a standalone app to be an easily embeddable app, or even web[-based].

“So everything we’re doing in augmented reality, we’re able to take that, not only in mobile, but actually bring it to broadcast cameras — and the actual cameras and stadium can now display our augmented content.”

As AI gets better, experts see ways for it to actually enhance AR and VR personalization and measurement because AI relies on the use of large data sets.

The AR experience allows fans to become a part of the game and connect, rather than just passively consuming content, Beatty explained.

Beatty told Digiday, “Especially on your phone, when you swipe something off, it’s gone forever. What we’re showing is that, first, there’s a permanence to a place that exists and people interact with our content — it’s something that is much more memorable and meaningful than exists anywhere else.”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 380 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue